Glue applying apparatus



May 8, 1934.

M. J. MILMOE GLUE APPLYING APPARATUS Filed July 50, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

May 8, 1934. M. J. MILMOE GLUE APPLYING APPARATUS Filed July 30, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 iNVENTOR.

Bygrrx 7" ATTORNEYS.

y 1934- M. J. MILMOE 1,957,470

GLUE APPLYING APPARATUS Filed July 30, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 m ATTORNEYS.

y 1934. M. J. MILMOE 1,957,470

GLUE APPLYING APPARATUS Filed July so, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

- ?atented May 8, 19 3 4 GLUE APPLYING APPARATUS Michael J. Milmoe, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor to F. B. Redington 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 30, 1932, Serial No. 626,512

21 Claims.

One object of this invention is to provide means for applying glue to a flap of a carton prior to the same being folded into overlapping relation withother flaps or a portion of a carton whereby the carton may be efiectively sealed.

Another object of this invention is to insure a continuous supply of glue to the surface of rollers rotatable about vertical axes. The invention contemplates moving a flap of the carton into engagement with the surface of the roller and providing means whereby only a predetermined amount of glue remains on the roller.

Various objects of this invention will appear hereinafter'as the description thereof proceeds,

the novel features, arrangements and combinations being clearly set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a front elevational view, partly in section, showing a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to the lower half of Fig. 2 with cartons advanced to different positions with respect to the glue applying mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a view looking from the right in Fig. 1.

The glue applying mechanism comprises the frame 10 upon which the various parts of the mechanism are supported, the frame being provided with a table 11 at the top thereof and an upstanding web portion 12 connecting the base of the frame with the table and supporting the latter. The cartons A are received by the guides 13 carried by the brackets 14 and are supported on the guides 15 while pressed there-against by the presser bar 16. The carton is therefore guided along its path of movementby means engaging four sides thereof. The cartons are carried between the guides by means of L-shaped members 17 which have the upstanding leg portions 18 engaging the rear of the carton and the lug portions 19 engaging the forward edge of the car- 5 ton whereby when the L-shaped members are moved in a direction toward the right as viewed in Figs. 1 or 2, the cartons are conveyed in the direction of the arrow indicated on Fig. 2. The L-shaped members are conveyed along their path 0 of movement by means of three chains 19',

trained over sprockets 20 and driven in any suitable manner, the construction of this driving means being clearly set forth in my co-pending application, Serial No. 626,511 filed July 30, 1932. When the carton is received between the guides 13, the flaps 20 extend in the direction of movement. of the carton as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the other fiapshaving been folded into overlapping relation with each other over the ends of the carton. After the flaps 20 have received an application of glue to the inner surface thereof, the same are folded over the flaps already in folded position and pressed thereagainst to seal the carton. This is accomplished in the following manner.

A pair of rollers 21 securedto the shafts 22 rotatable in the bearings 23 carried by the brackets 14 are for the purpose of supplying glue to the inner sides of the flaps 20. Each shaft 22 has a gear 24 at the lower end thereof meshing with a gear 25 on a shaft 26 which is also arranged with the axis thereof extending vertically. At the lower end of each shaft 26, there is secured a bevel gear 27 driven in turn from a bevel gear 28 on a shaft 29 extending transversely to the path of movement of the cartons. This shaft 29 may be driven in any suitable manner from the main power drive of the machine. The shaft 26 which is located at the forward side of the machine is additionally braced by. the bracket 30 which is secured by the bolts 31 to the table 11. This shaft also carries a cam 32 secured thereto and as the shaft 29 rotates, the gears 25 and the cam 32 rotate therewith.

Mounted on the table 11 in a depression 33, is a glue box 34 containing liquid glue. There is a gear pump 35 connected by conduit36 to the glue in the trough and this pump also has the outlet conduits 37 and 38 for conveying the glue withdrawn by the pump from the trough 34 to the glue applying rollers 21. The conduit 3'7 which is at the rear of the machine is connected to the pump by the connecting pipe 39 which-extends transversely of the machine from one. side thereof to the other as is clear from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2. The pumps supply an unlimited amount of glue to the surface of each of the rollers which rollers rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.

. It is desired, however, to maintain only a .very thin layer of glue on the outer surface of each roller and also, prevent the accumulation of dry glue 'on the surface of the roll by means of a pair of scrapers which normally have their scraping edges in spaced relation to the surface of the rollers but are periodically moved into engagement with the surface of the rollers to scrape a portion of the glue therefrom and prevent the accumulation of an undesired quantity of glue thereon. These scraper blades are indicated in the drawings by the reference numeral 40 and as is probably best illustrated in Fig. 4, each scraper is secured to a flat portion on a vertically arranged shaft 41 to which there is also secured an arm 42, which arm when actuated rocks the scraper blade 40 about the axis of shaft 41. The scraper has a knife shaped edge 43 and projections 44 adapted to overlie the upper and lower flat ends of the roller 21, whereby the glue is continuously scraped ofl the upper and lower-ends and may be periodically scraped off the peripheral surface of the roller when the knife edge 43 brought into engagement therewith in a manner to be described presently.

A thumb screw 45, threaded into a tapped opening 46 in the bracket 14 has a collar 47 which limits the movement of the arm 42 in a direction away from the bracket 14, the thumb screw 45 passing through an opening in the arm'42 as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. A spring 48 surrounds the thumb screw 45 between the bracket 14 and arm 42 and normally urges the arm 42 away from the bracket 14. Periodically, however, the arm 42 is rocked in the opposite direction by means which positively engage the arm 42. This means comprises the levers 49 pivoted at 50 and provided with a set screw 51 extending through a lug 52 in the free end' of the lever. The set screw 51 is adapted to engage the arm 42 and move the arm 42 about its pivot whenever the lever 49 is moved about its pivot in a direction to move the set screw toward the arm 42 which, in

the case of the mechanism shown at the bottom in Fig. 2, or shown in Fig. 4, is a clockwise direction, whereas for the mechanism shown at the top in Fig. 2, the movement is in a counter-clockwise direction to accomplish the same result.

As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2, (bottom) a clockwise movement of the lever 49 moves the knife edge 43 agairn t the surface of the roller and as a result, some of the glue on the surface of the roller is scraped therefrom by the knife edge. When the lever 49 is rocked in the opposite direction, the knife edge assumes the position shown in Fig. 2 and permits a small layer of glue to pass beneath the knife edge, whereby glue is supplied to a glue applying position. The gears 24 and 25 have a different number of teeth so that the scraper is applied to a different portion of the surface of the roller 21 every time the scraper is moved into engagement therewith, in order to prevent dry glue from accumulating on any one portion of the roller.

In order to rock the levers 49 in opposite directions about their pivots, the shafts 26 are provided with the cams 53 which engage the rollers 54 on the free ends-of the levers 49. The cams 53 have their high portions arranged in such a relation with respect to each other that they periodically move the levers 49 in opposite directions and at substantially the same time. The arrangement is such that the scrapers do not scrape glue from portions of the rollers which are in a position to engage the flaps when the flaps are moved to the glue applying position. This insures that there will always be glue on the portion of the roller which is engaged by the flap when moving into engagement with the roller in the manner presently to be described. The conduits 38 and pump 35 insure an unlimited supply of glue for the rollers 21 which is in excess of the actual requirements of the rollers.

The pump 35 is driven by means of a chain 55 trained over a sprocket 56 on the pump drive shaft 57 and a sprocket 58 on the shaft 29.

The ends 59 of the guides 13 are flared outwardly slightly at about a position opposite the shafts 22 and then curve arcuatelyoutward toward the adjacent rollers 21, whereby the flaps 20 are permitted to move into a position such as that shown in Fig. 3 in which position, the flap lies against the surface of the roller 21. In order to insure that the fiap,21 is positively moved against the roller, I provide thearms 60 mounted on the shaft 61 rotatable in the brackets 62, and these arms have a lug 63 on the outer free ends thereof. Each of the shafts 61 is provided with another arm 64 which arms extend in substantially opposite directions away from their respective shafts so that the free ends of the arms lie on opposite sides of the plane through thecenter of the shafts 61. A link 65, pivotally connected at 66 to each of the arms 64 causes the arms 64 and consequently the arms 60 to be moved in unison with each other although in opposite directions about their axes of rotation. Theshaft 61 at the side of the machine is periodically actuated by means of the cam 32. In order to do this, the shaft 61 is provided at its lower end with an arm 67 secured, thereto and carrying at the free end' thereof a roller 68 which travels in the cam groove 69 of the cam 32. Since both of the shafts 61 are caused to move in unison with each other by means of the arm 64 and connecting link 65, the actuation of the one shaft 61 by means 108 of the cam 32 in the manner just described will cause the other: shaft tobe rocked about its pivot. Consequently both of the arms 60 are rocked simultaneously about their axes of rotation and in a direction toward and from the free ends 110 of the guides 13. As the cartons move from the position shown in Fig. 2 toward a position such as that shown in Fig. 3, the arm 60 is moved away from the end of the guide strip 13 and the flap due to its natural tendency to' return to a 11!! position in alignment with the adjacent side of the carton, moves in between the end of the guide strip and the free end of the arm 60, and the arm is thereafter moved in a direction toward the cartons continue their movement past the position shown in Fig. 4, they pass between op- .posed guides 70' carried by the brackets 71 and vertically arranged posts '72. The guides are flared at the ends to facilitate the movement of the cartons therebetween and act as means for pressing the flap 20 of the carton against the other flaps to seal the carton. As the L-shaped members are moved along their path of movement by their chains 19', the cartons have all but the flaps 20 folded over the opposite ends and means is provided for folding the flaps-20 backwardly into a position illustrated in Fig. 2, and the cartons are carried between the guides 13 while the flaps are in this extended position. As the carton moves past the position shown therefor in Fig. 2, the free ends thereof due to their natural tendency to align with the contiguous side of the carton do move outwardly when permitted to do so by the guides 13 thus arranging themselves between the ends of the guides 13 and the free ends of the arms 60. At this time, the cam 32 150 actuates the arm 67 and as a result, the arms 60 move toward the free ends of the guides 13 and positively move the flaps 20 of the carton into the scraper blade 40 may be moved under the influence of the spring 48. r

. The carton continues its movement along the supports 15 and between the guides '70, the free ends of the arms 60 or rather the lugs 63 engage the flaps 20 and move them against the ends of the cartons prior to the cartons moving between the guides '70. The guides press the flaps against the ends of the carton and seal the carton.

The cams 53 periodically actuate the levers 49 and due to the resulting contact between the set. screws 51 and the arms 42 connected to the scraper blades d0, cause the scraper blades 40 to move about their pivot in a direction to bring the knife edge 43 thereof into engagement with the peripheral surfaces whereby the glue is prevented from moving past the scraper blade until the arms 49 are rocked in the opposite directions about their pivots under the influence of the springs '73. Thereafter the amount of glue which remains on the rollers is'determined by the distance which the knife edges 43 move away from the surface of the roller. the movement of the knife edges 43 is in a direction generally tangential to the surface of the rollers so that a very fine adjustment of the amount of glue which remains on the roller may be had although a coarse thread may be used on the thumb screw 45. This arrangement, of course, prevents the accumulation of dried glue on the surface of the rollers as within a few revolutions of the roller, all portions of the peripheral surface thereof have been scraped.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various changes in the particular arrangementand construction shown in the drawings without departing from the spirit of this invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited except as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is:

1. In a glue applying apparatus, the combination with guides, of gluing rollers disposed adjacent said guides, means for moving cartons be-- tween said guides and past said rollers means for holding flaps of said carton in a position extending outwardly away from their contiguous sides and out of contact with said rollers'until said flaps have passed said glue applying rollers, and means for thereafter moving said flaps into engagement with said glue applying rollers and subsequently over the end of the carton into sealing engagement therewith.

2. A glue applying apparatus comprising a glue 1 applying roller having a substantially vertically arranged axis and a peripherally extending glue applying surface, a glue reservoir beneath said roller, and a circulating means for circulating glue from said reservoir to the glue applying sur- It will be noted that excess of the actual amount of glue required for said surface, and means for scraping all but a predetermined quantity of the glue deposited on said surface off said surface, whereby only the required amount of glue is supplied at the glue applying position of said glue applying roller.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said last mentioned means comprises a scraper periodically movable toward and from the glue applying surface of said roller in a direction substantially tangentially, and in which there is ameans for limiting the amount of movement of said scraper to and from said roller, whereby the thickness of the glue remaining on said roller for application at the glue applying position is predetermined and the force of the engagement of said scraper with said roller to scrape said roller may also be predetermined.

4. In a glue applying apparatus, the combination with a pair of glue applying rollers having substantially cylindrical surfaces and mounted to rotate about substantially vertical axes, means for moving a carton to and past said glueapplying rollers, means for holding a flap at each end of said carton out of contact with said rollers until said flaps are past said rollers, means for thereafter moving said flaps into engagement with said rollers so that glue is applied thereto, said last mentioned means acting also as a means for moving said flaps over the ends of said cartons as said cartons continue to be moved along their path of movement by said moving means.

5. In a glue applying apparatus, the combination with a glue applying roller having a peripheral surface which periodically moves through a 31.9 glue applying position, said glue applying position being substantially in a vertical I plane through which plane the glue applying surface of said roller periodically passes in its rotative movement, means for rotating said roller, means 1 5' for feeding a carton to and past said roller, means for holding a flap of said carton out of contact with said roller until the same has passed said roller, means for thereafter moving said flap into said glue applying position, and means for thereafter folding said flap over the end of said carton to seal the same.

6. In a glue applying apparatus, the combination with means for moving cartons to be sealed along a predetermined path, rollers having ver- 5 tically arranged axes arranged on opposite sides of said path, means for holding flaps at opposite ends of said carton out of engagement with said rollers until said flaps have passed said rollers, said means thereafter becoming inoperative to permit said flaps to move outwardly toward said rollers, and means for thereafter moving said flaps positively into engagement with said rollers.

"7. A device as claimed in claim 6 in which means is provided for supplying glue in excess to the requirements of said glue applying rollers to said rollers, and means for thereafter removing allrbut a predetermined quantity of glue from said rollers.

8. A glue applying apparatus comprising means for moving a carton along a predetermined path and for holding flaps thereof extending in the direction of general movement of said carton against their natural tendency to extend outwardly in a direction transversely to the path of movement of said carton, glue applying rollers mounted on opposite sides of the path of movement of said carton, said means for holding said flaps extended in the manner set forth hereinbefore becoming inoperative after said flaps have passed said glue applying rollers, and means for thereafter positively moving said flaps against said glue applying rollers.

9. Glue applying apparatus comprising guides for guiding cartons along a predetermined path, glue applying rollers having vertically extending axes and vertically extending glue applying surfaces mounted on opposite sides of said guides. said guides holding flaps of said cartons out of engagement with said rollers until said flaps pass said rollers whereafter they become inoperative for this purpose, and supplemental means for moving said flaps into engagement with said rollers after they are free to move into engagement with said rollers comprising arms, means for moving said arms periodically toward and from said rollers, means for supplying a quantity of glue to said rollers in excess to the requirements thereof, and a scraper for scraping all but a predetermined amount of glue off said rollers whereby only such predetermined amounts of glue are supplied to the glue applying position as may be desired, and means for adjusting the position of said scraper to regulate the amount of glue which remains on said rollers.

10. Glue applying apparatus comprising guides for guiding cartons along a predetermined path, glue applying rollers having vertically extending .axes and vertically extending glue applying surfaces mounted on opposite sides of said guides, said guides holding flaps of said cartons out of engagement with said rollers until said flaps pass said rollers whereafter they become inoperative for this purpose, and supplemental means for moving said flaps into engagement with said rollers after they are free to move into engagement with said rollers comprising arms, means for moving said arms periodically toward and from said rollers, means for supplying a quantity of glue to said rollers in excess to the requirements thereof, and a scraper for scraping all but a predetermined amount of glue ofi' saidv rollers j whereby only such predetermined amounts of glue aresupplied to the glue applying position as may be desired, and means for adjusting the position of said scraper to regulate the amount of glue which remains on said rollers, comprising adjusting screws for limiting the amount of movement of said scrapers away from said glue applying rollers, and means for positively actuating said scrapers in a direction toward said rollers and into engagement therewith whereby portions of the surfaces of said rollers are periodically scraped to prevent the accumulation of glue thereon.

11. A glue applying apparatus comprising a glue applying roller mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and having a peripherally extending glue applying surface thereon, a glue reservoir, a circulating means for circulating said glue from said reservoir to the glue applying surface of said roller at substantially the highest operative point on said glue applying surface at a rate in excess of the actual amount of glue required, and means for scraping all but a predetermined quantity of the glue deposited on said surface off said surface, whereby only the required amount of glue is supplied by said roller to the glue applying position thereof, said scraping means comprising a scraper periodically movable toward and from the glue applying surface of said roller as said roller rotates, and means for limiting the amount of movement of said scraper to and from said roller, whereby the thickness of the glue remaining on said rolIer for application at the glue applying position is predetermined.-

12. Ina glue applying apparatus, the combination with a guide, of a glue applying roller disposed adjacent said guide, means for moving a carton adjacent said guide and past said roller, means for holding a. flap of said carton in a position extending forwardly in the direction of movement of said carton and away from the contiguous side of said carton and out of contact with said roller until said flap has passed saidroller, means for thereafter moving said flap into engagement with said glue applying roller, and means for subsequently moving said flap over the end of the carton into sealing engagement there with.

13. In a glue applying apparatus, the combination with a guide, of a glue applying roller disposed adjacent said guide, means for moving a carton adjacent said uide and past said roller, means for holding a flap of said carton in a-position extending forwardly in the direction of movement of said carton and away from the contiguous side of said carton and out of contact with said roller until said flap has passed said roller, means for thereafter moving said flap into engagement with said glue applying roller, and means for subsequently moving said flap over the end of the carton into sealing engagement therewith, said meansfor moving said flap into en gagement with said roller also acting as a means to move said flap against the end of said carton.

14. In a glue applying apparatus, the combination with a glue applyingroller having an outer curved surface mounted to move through a glue applying position with the operative surface thereof substantially in an upright plane at that position, means for moving a carton having an extending flap to and past said glue applying roller, meansfor preventing contact between said flap and roller until said flap has passed said roller, means for thereafter positively moving said flap into engagement with said roller at said glue applying position so that glue is applied thereto, and means for moving said flap over the end of said carton with said glued side of said flap against a portion of said carton, whereby to seal said flap against said carton.

15. Ina glue applying apparatus, the combination with a glue applying roller having a peripheral surface which periodically moves through a glue applying position, said glue applying position being substantially in a vertical plane through which plane the glue applying surface of said roller periodically passes in its rotative movement, means for actuating said roller, means for feeding a carton to and past said roller, means for guiding an extending flap on said carton so that it extends substantially in the direction of movement of said carton but out of contact therewith while passing said roller, means for moving said flap into engagement with the glue on the surface of sar'd roller at said glue applying position after said flap has passed said roller, and means for thereafter folding said flap over the end of said carton to seal the same.

16. In a glue applying apparatus, the combination with means for moving cartons to be sealed along a predetermined path, a roller having its peripheral surface arranged adjacent the path of movement of said cartons, means for holding an extending flap on each of said cartons forwardly of said carton in the direction of movement thereof until said flaps have passed said roller, means for preventing contact between said flaps and said roller, and means operable after said flaps have passed said roller for moving said flaps into engagement with the surface of said roller at the glue applying'position thereof.

17. In at-glue applying apparatus, the combination with a glue applying roller, means for rotating said roller, a scraper having a scraping edge extending substantially parallel to the surface of said roller, said scraper being mounted for movement in a direction substantially tangentially to the surface of said roller, and means for actuating said scraper periodically in the aforementioned direction to increase or decrease the distance between the scraping edge of said scraper and the adjacent surface of said roller.

18. In a. glue applying apparatus, the com-- bination with a glue applying roller, means for rotating said roller, a scraper having a scraping edge eitending substantially parallel to the surface of said roller, said scraper being mounted for: movement in a direction substantially tangentially to the surface of said roller, and means for actuating said scraper periodically in the aforementioned direction to increase or decrease the distance between the scraping edge of said scraper and the adjacent surface of said roller, said actuating means for said scraper being actuated in timed relation to the rotation of said roller to bring said scraping edge into and out of engagement with said roller to remove all but predetermined quantities of glue from the periphery of said roller and to gauge the thickness of the film of glue which remains on said roller.

19. In a glue applying apparatusfthe combination with a glue applying roller, means for rotating said roller, a scraper having a scraping edge extending substantially parallel to the surface of said roller, said scraper being mounted for movement in a direction substantially peripherally of said roller and simultaneously outwardly from a the surface thereof at a relatively slow rate as compared with the peripheral movement, and means for actuating said scraper periodically in the aforementioned direction to increase or decrease the distance between the scraping edge on said scraper and the adjacent surface of said roller.

20. In a glue applying apparatus, thecombination with a roller having a substantially cylindrical surface and mounted to rotate on? a substantially vertical axis, means for pumping glue to the surface of said roller at a point above the operative glue applying portion thereof in excess of the amount of glue necessary for gluing purposes, said glue thereafter flowing by gravity downwardl over the surface of said roller to distribute the glue over the surface of said roller as said roller rotates, and a scraper located peripherally between the position at which the glue is applied to said roller and the glue applying position thereof for scraping all but a predetermined quantity of glue off the surface of said roller.

21. A device as set forth in claim 20 in which said scraper moves into contact with the surface of said roller throughout substantially the entire operative length of said roller in a vertical direction to clean the surface of said roller, and then moves to a position spaced slightly from the surface thereof to gauge the thickness of the layer of glue which is to remain on the surface of said roller.

MICHAEL J. MIL-MOE. 

